The Silent Path
by UtterlyGutsyNinja16
Summary: After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, fifteen-year-old Fujioka Shizuka can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact to suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school — but everything changes when Kuchiki Rukia arrives.


******Aura Meaning Chart:**

**Orange: **Self-control, ambition, courage, thoughtfulness, lack of will, apathetic

**Yellow: **Optimistic, happy, intellectual, friendly, indecisive, easily led

**Green: **Peaceful, healing, compassion, deceitfulness, jealous

**Blue: **Spiritual, loyal, creative, sensitive, kind, moody

**Violet: **Highly spiritual, wisdom, intuition

**Indigo: **Benevolence, highly intuitive, seeker

**Pink: **Love, sincerity, friendship

**Gray: **Depression, sadness, exhaustion, low energy, skepticism

**Brown: **Greed, self-involvement, opinionated

**Black: **Lacking energy, illness, imminent death

**White: **Perfect balance

* * *

xXx

* * *

"Guess who?!"

Keigo's warm, clammy palms press hard against my pale cheeks as the little droplets of his miso soup he had for breakfast left a little smudge on my skin. And even though my eyes are covered and closed, I _know_ that his dark brown hair is parted in the middle, his uniform shirt is untucked and wrinkly yet not so much that it is immediatelu noticeable (keeping in compliance with our school's dress-code policy), his brand-new, slightly too long black slacked uniform pants already has a hole near the hem where he caught it with the toe of his brown shoes, and his eyes appear happier than ever, but that's all a lie this morning isn't a good morning for him.

I also _know_ his parents are pretty negligent and are never around, I _know_ that his sister is a scary girl that goes to this school and he is smart to fear her, and I also _know_ that smile is just a desperate play for attention.

But I don't know any of this from spying or peeking or even being told. I know because I'm psychic.

"Hurry! Guess! The bell's gonna ring!" he says, his voice hoarse and fighting for breath as if he just ran all the way to school even though I know he only tried long distance running once.

I stall, thinking of the last person he'd ever want to be mistaken for. "Is it Kojima Mizuiro?"

"No, not at all. Guess again!" He presses tighter, having no idea that I don't have to see to know.

"Is it Yasutora Sado?"

He laughs and lets go, licking his thumb and aiming for the bit of soup he left on my cheek, but I raise my hand and beat him to it. Not because I'm grossed out by the thought of his saliva (I mean, I _know_ he's healthy), but because I don't want him to touch me again. Touch is too revealing, too exhausting, so I try to avoid it at all costs.

He slips his tiny feminine fingers into my uniform jacket's lower pocket and fishes out my iPod, then squints at my ear buds finally releasing that I'm wearing them since they're hidden behind my hair and finally asks, "What're you listening to?"

I reach for the iPod back since it's locked from prying eyes with a simple pass code then I unlock it and watch as his eyes bug out when he see what's on the screen between his hands and then he says, "What the, I mean, can it be any louder? And who is that?"

He dangles the iPod between us so we can both hear Nakamoto Suzuka-chan screaming about none sense going on in Tokoyo. And the truth is, I don't know if Nakamoto is happy for it or angry about. I just know that she's almost loud enough to dull my overly heightened senses.

"Gimme chocolate." I say, clicking it off and returning it to my secret compartment where I have well hidden my white ear buds away from facility view.

"I'm surprised you could even hear me with their pitchy yet metal-like voices." He smiles at the same time the bell rings.

But I just shrug. I don't need to _listen_ to _hear_. Though it's not like I mention that. I just tell him I'll see him at lunch and head towards class, making my way across campus and cringing when I sense Ichigo close lining him right in the middle of his daily round of 'good morning Ichigo'. However, the boy got up after a few seconds of twitching and labored panting I breathe a sigh of relief as I push into class, _knowing_ it won't be long before the lingering energy of Keigo's touch fades.

I head toward my seat in the back (thankful that this time it wasn't thrown down the stairs... that has actually happened before), avoiding the purse Hideaki Amu has purposely placed in my path, while ignoring her daily serenade of "Looo-ser" she croons under her breath. Then I slide onto my chair, retrieve my book, notebook, and pen from my bag, insert my earpiece, let my hair cover the sides of my face like a curtain, drop my backpack on the empty seat beside me, and wait for Ochi-sensei to show.

Ochi-sensei is almost always late. Mostly because she likes to take a few nips from her small silver flask between classes. But, that's only because she never married, she always wanted children so they could supply her with fat grandchildren at her death bed, and she pretty much hates her life (that explains her insanely upbeat attitude all the time). I learned all of that on my first day at this school, when my hand accidentally touched hers as I gave her my transfer slip. So now, whenever I need to turn something in, I just leave it on the edge of her desk.

I close my eyes and wait, my fingers creeping inside my jacket, switching the song from screaming Nakamoto to something softer, smoother. All that loud noise is no longer necessary now that I'm in class. I guess the small student/teacher ratio keeps the psychic energy somewhat contained.

I wasn't always a freak. I used to be a normal teen girl. The kind who went to school dances, had celebrity crushes, and was so vain about my long orange hair I wouldn't dream of cutting it short to my shoulders and donating to Locks for Love, so I wouldn't ever be reminded of someone I was even I always am. I had a mom, a dad, a little sister named Sakura, and a sweet Siamese cat named Umi. I lived in a nice house, in a good neighborhood, in Ginza, Tokyo. I was popular, happy, and could hardly wait for freshman year to begin since I'd just made the cheerleading squad. My life was complete, and the sky was the limit. And even though that last part is a total cliché, it's also ironically true.

Yet all of that's just hearsay as far as I'm concerned. Because ever since the accident, the only thing I can clearly remember is _dying_.

|•|~|•|

I had what they call an NDE, or 'near death experience'. Only _they_ happen to be wrong. Because believe me, there wasn't anything _near_ about it. It's like, one moment my little sister Sakura and I were sitting in the back of my dad's SUV, with Umi's head resting on Sakura's lap, while his tail thumped softly against my leg, and the next thing I knew all the air bags were blown, the car was totaled, and I was observing it all from outside.

I gazed at the wreckage, the shattered glass, the crumbled doors, the front bumper clutching a pine tree in a lethal embrace, wondering what went wrong as I hoped and prayed everyone had gotten out too. Then I heard a familiar bark, and turned to see them all wandering down a path, with Umi purring loudly and leading the way.

I went after them. At first trying to run and catch up, but then slowing and choosing to linger.

Wanting to wander through that vast fragrant field of pulsating trees and flowers that shivered, closing my eyes against the dazzling mist that reflected and glowed and made everything shimmer.

I promised myself I'd only be a moment. That soon, I'd go back and find them. But when I did finally look, it was just in time to catch a quick glimpse of them smiling and waving and crossing a bridge, mere seconds before they all vanished.

I panicked. I looked everywhere. Running this way and that, but it all looked the same— warm, white, glistening, shimmering, beautiful, stupid, and eternal mist. And I fell to the ground, my skin pricked with cold, my whole body twitching, crying, screaming, cursing, begging, making promises I knew I could never ever keep.

And then I heard the most beautiful manliest and alluring voice I had ever heard in my entire life it was like liquid sex, "Tell me your name. I want you to open your eyes, look at me, and tell me your name."

I stumbled back to the surface. Back to where everything was pain, and misery, and stinging wet hurt on my forehead.

And I gazed at the guy leaning over me, looked into his dark and penetrative gaze, and whispered, "I'm Shizuka," before passing out again...

* * *

Later today I'm sitting with my usual crowd which consists of my cousin— Ichigo, Keigo, Mizuiro-kun, and Sado-kun. It's torture— not because I hate them, not at all their decent people— no it's torture because their thoughts are so invasive and _personal_. It's worse than soaps on repeat.

Yatsutora Sado-kun despite his silence and extremely lax and tough guy attitude he's actually a deep thinker and one of the least perverted boys in this school next to my frigid cousin. To be honest I wish he'd talk instead so I wouldn't have to be tortured by his thoughts.

Then there's Kojima Mizuiro who reminds me too much of Rocket Boy. However, he's not innocent like Rocket Boy at all... in fact he's an uber big ladies' man. That would normally make me pretty wary of him, however he pines for the older kind of girls that will pay for his meals. A.k.a. he's a cheap ho, which is more than I ever wish to know about him.

Next there's my cousin Kurosaki Ichigo. He's kind of complicated in a few senses; he wishes to remain aloof yet he's constantly concerned about his self image, he claims to not care about anything but he'll save his sisters in a heartbeat and finally his past is quite cringe worthy... on a very depressing level.

And finally there's Asano Keigo. His constant attempts to be the essential part of the group is so sad and very uncomfortable to watch. All he wants is attention from his friends, heaps of it and it's just such a far cry away from him ever being on that level. That's kind of why sort of bonded well, he never gives up the chance to try and be on a very deep level of friends with me.

_I wonder if my friends actually give a shit and want to go to the summer fireworks festival with me. It's worth a shot, plus I really hope Shizuka-chan says yes! I'll finally get to see what's under that baggy— _Keigo thought.

In that instance I tried my best to block out the rest of his thought process by cranking up the tunes. It didn't block it out well enough and I tried to reason with myself that he isn't specifically into me he's just a hormonal teen boy that's curious about his friend that's a girl...

"Oi Ichigo! Ichigo!" He said practically bouncing off of the tiled roofing with unwarranted joy.

"What is it, Keigo?" Ichigo practically snapped at the annoying guy.

"Don't you want to go the summer fireworks festival? Any of you?"

They all answered no and so did I. I really didn't want to say no for his sake, but I can't hold out very well in large environments with so many people. You think school is bad enough, but wait until one of these days I'm forced into a large crowd of people it's like a big cosmic bowl of soup. My senses are attacked like it's nobodies business, so no I can't bring myself to go with Keigo.

"Awwwww~! Come on, guys! I'll just be stuck with my sister...!" He then leaned in super close to me with a small leer. "Come on, Shizuka... don't you want to go with me?"

I scrunched back a little, I don't want to be touched and I definitely don't want to be coerced into going with him to that fireworks festival. I've already said no to him, he needs to back off...

"Oh Keigo, don't stoop so low that you sexually harass, Shizuka-chan." Mizuiro said with an unnaturally large smile.

His aura gave him away though. It's obviously not a good day for him his aura is grayish. It's all a façade when this older woman who's twenty-one (seriously he's better than Quagmire at getting girls and _that_ my friend is some scary shit) dumped him and he's rather upset about it, but he's trying not to make it transparent amongst his friends...

"I am not harassing her!" He shot back leaning away from me.

"Yes you are, pervert." He said with that same smile on his face.

"Am not!"

"Pervert."

This friendly little banter went on until the end of lunch. They always do this: Keigo leans in too close to me when asking questions, Mizuiro calls him a pervert, and then Keigo claims he's not. Step two and three are on repeated whenever step one is set into action.

It almost distracted me from constant thought stream surging through my brain constantly and the bright annoying colors. Almost.

* * *

I walked beside Ichigo one my way home. I always do this since we go the same route and the same place it only makes sense. Normally we don't talk and I can hear his thoughts clearly.

_Got do homework, study for that test, avoid Dad's flying kick, and... _

His thoughts of what he has to do go on and on for like ever. It's annoying thing, there's no off switch and I hear it all the time. Sometimes the thoughts are so exhausting and overwhelming that I _want_ to be locked in a mental institute to avoid all human contact. That's not going to happen though...

We enter the house and I dodge the incoming attack with practiced ease. Rarely, do things surprise me anymore.

"What are you doing, old goat face!? Is that how you greet your son!?" Ichigo demanded.

Yeah, this interaction is pretty normal between them. Of course, when I first entered this home and saw it for the first time I thought my uncle was a phycho. However, Ichigo usually beats him in a skinny minute. Although, this time the old man seems to be putting up a fair fight...

"Shizuka-chan, would you like some dinner? It's fresh!" Yuzu said with the ladle in her tiny hands.

I swear she will become the ultimate house wife, you don't have to be psychic to know that.

"No thank you, I'm not hungry." I smiled.

In her thoughts I know that she's upset, but I can't deal with interaction right now I'm exhausted. Uncle Isshin rolled in front of me, but I didn't even have to open my eyes to properly to step over his face as I headed towards my room which was previously the guest bedroom.

"Oooh! Lovely panties today, Shizuka-chan! I see you went with the pink!" He called out in his sing songy voice.

I heard a harsh punch being delivered to his face before I hear Ichigo say. "Shut up, you old pervert!"

I shut the door with a soft click. I flopped back against my bed as I let my messenger bag slip off my shoulder and onto the floor. A loud and exhausted sigh left my lips as I heard their shouts and thought flow from my room. I clicked on my iPod and tuned them out.

I feel bad for Uncle Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, and Ichigo. I feel bad that the life they worked so hard for was forever changed the day they got stuck with me and when my Aunt Misaki died (something I obviously has no control over). But, since my dad was an only child and all of my grandparents had passed by the time I was two, it's not like she had much of a choice. I mean, it was either live with them, my mom's only sibling and twin (who turned out to be a child molester, I dodged a huge bullet there), or go into foster care until I turned eighteen.

I was all up for foster care until that day, but Uncle Isshin wouldn't allow it. He always feels that family is important. I don't blame him for feeling it's important, but he didn't have to do this for me.

After the patch up at the hospital, I still had a broken arm and mild head injuries, Uncle Isshin was waiting with his car ready to pick me up. I wish no one called him; I really didn't want to be bothered or become a burden...

"Hey, come on in." He tried a bright smile, but his voice was soft.

I sat in the car silently. His thoughts made me feel so guilty and hurt about being alive... more than usual. I already had survivors guilt as it was.

_Man, this is going to put in some major debt, I'll have to somehow get even more patients somehow, I'll have to clean out the guest bedroom..._

It went on and on and I just tried to hold in the tears as best as I could...

**Author's Note: Should I continue this story or not? I'm curious...**


End file.
